accused
A person who has been arrested for or formally charged with a crime is referred to as "the accused." It is another name for the defendant in a criminal case.
The case of State v. Jefferson (1996), explains that for the purposes of speedy trial guarantees of the Tennessee and United States Constitutions, a person becomes "accused" when an arrest warrant is issued, and a person has been arrested and held to answer a criminal charge, or a grand jury has returned indictment or presentment charging the person with commission of a crime.
[Last reviewed in February of 2025 by the Wex Definitions Team]
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